Using Coupons vs. Buying Generic Products – Which One Works?

Someone recently asked me if I truly thought I save more using coupons and shopping at grocery stores than I could buying generics at a super store like Wal-Mart.

The answer: Absolutely! “BUT HOW,” you ask.

Here are some tips:

1. I now spend almost nothing on toiletries and cleaning supplies.
I wait until I have coupons for these items and wait until they go on sale at Walgreens or CVS. Then I stock up. This alone reduces our grocery budget substantially.

2. I make my grocery list around sales.
I add in my coupons and get a majority of the items on my list very cheap or free.

3. I compare generic and non sale items.
If I need a product and it is not on sale, but I do have a coupon; I compare. Is the generic cheaper even after the coupon? If so, I buy it.

4. Throw Brand Loyalty out the window because it will cost you too much money.
Besides, why would you be concerned about buying a certain brand when you think generic items are “the way to save?” Trust me. Buying generics will not result in an overall reduction in your grocery budget. Clipping coupons will not greatly reduce your overall grocery budget either.

Wait…! What did CouponKatie just say?! Clipping coupons will not greatly reduce your overall grocery budget either…but effectively planning your grocery trips will. Clipping coupons is just part of an overall strategy that you should develop to greatly reduce your grocery/household items budget. It all starts with planning, and when you combine planning with ‘couponing’, then the savings are incredible.

Sign up here and I will email you my Smart Saving Steps that will teach you how to reduce your grocery budget and plan a Successful Coupon Strategy.

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Comments 4

I do both … shop generic as well as us coupons. I do clip coupons from each Sunday paper, but I wait several weeks before using them. This way you can line up using a coupon with when the item is also on sale. There is a great site http://www.southernsavers.com that provides coupon matchup for our local grocery stores, so that you don’t have to do the legwork of figuring out if there is a coupon for the item you want … it tells you!! How easy is that.

I’ll stick to buying generics. The time and effort spent trying to figure out the best deal using a coupon on name brand isn’t worth it to me. Could I pinch some more pennies? Probably, but time is money and I’m not wasting my time strategizing over coupons!